All I Have
by Sketty24
Summary: Fifteen years ago, Wolverine fled from Stryker, naked and bloodstained. Alone, with no memories, he must rebuild his life and recover with newfound freedom. A saviour is required, but this one is in need of a little life changing themselves. Pre X1
1. Escape

This idea came upon me as I was travelling home from college today. And by the time I got home, it had fleshed out rather wonderfully. And I just had to write my first chapter! So, please review, let me know what you think! (And yeah, it's more Logan goodness!)

**All I Have**

**Chapter 1**

_Get out. That's all he could think of. Get out. No matter who or what was in his way. _

The room was dark, lit only by the narrow strip light above a large glass tank and an x-ray board against the bank wall. Several x-rays were upon the lit surface, showing different parts of the skeleton that seemed to have been enhanced with additional components. Around the tank stood a small group of people, each clad in pristine white coats and protective gear. A murky glow came from the tank, which was filled with some sort of chemical. Inside was a submerged body, lowered down upon a metal crate.

The group talked quietly, particularly to a man at the head of the tank, preparing some sort of machine.

"It's been a busy day," he said quietly, "but I think we can complete his left set."

The man looked down at the tank slowly, eyes trailing along one of the body's arms that was secured upon a raised plate. He pulled the machine towards him, releasing a long probe that was attached.

"Is it secure?"

"Yes, Mr. Stryker."

"Very well," Stryker lowered the appliance to the body's forearm, sharp tip being pushed upon the skin, and inside. It went deep along the top of the arm, and the man submerged in the liquid stirred slowly. With the press of a button, gurgling silver liquid began to be pumped through the tube, boiling hot. Stryker, with an air of patience and utmost care, slowly pulled the needle-like probe towards him. Hands steady and procedure unhurried. But the man within the tank had felt the pain, he screamed through the murky green liquid, but he couldn't be heard. He writhed and tugged, but the restraints would not move.

The water thrashed as the man tried to free himself from the pain, but the arm never moved once. Locked solidly in place. After agony that felt like hours, the appliance was pulled out from the skin, leaving a gaping wound that quickly began to bleed heavily.

"Take him back," ordered Stryker to his workers, "That's it for the day." As Stryker walked away, removing his additional attire, his white-coated workers flocked around the tank, unfastening the large metal restraints that forced him down. A group of armed soldiers came forth, two of them holding large cuffs. The workers raised the man out of the water, who was gasping desperately air and looked white from the pain. Faint blood stains marked his body, ones that had never been washed away, and only faded from his constant dips in the tank. Both of his hands were gleaming scarlet, but that wasn't the worst thing. From his knuckles, three silver-coloured blades sat, clean and bright.

And yet the workers did not do anything to stop the bleeding, no bandages or any other kind of medical aid. They merely held him upright as the soldiers reached forth to place the strong cuffs on. But then, as if someone had flicked a switched in the injured man's head, his eyes opened. But they were not glazed or tired. They were alert and sharp. And blazingly angry.

The people around him quickly looked up, noticing the normally unresponsive form looking down at them. Normally he ignored them. Too tired, too weak. His difference caused the soldiers to hesitate, thrown off. But that pause cost them everything. With desperation, he swung a fist at one of the soldiers, but instead of his knuckle hitting the man's head, there was an agonised scream as three gleaming blade delved deep into the man's face. From the look of shock on the attacker's face, these claws were something new.

They were not there this morning.

Gasping quietly, he spun round, the water splashing below his knees. As one, the workers turned, running with terrified cries as the soldiers collapsed on the floor with his face unrecognisable. Stryker spun around, staring through his glasses as his workers fled and the man in the tank stood naked and tall with one set of claws gleaming with fresh blood. The man turned swiftly, watching the workers run to the door. Around his neck, a metal dog tag attached to a chain swung slowly against muscular chest. It was stamped with a long numerical code and 'WOLVERINE'. His alias. His given name. Wolverine suddenly leap forward, out of the chemical filled tank, which over flowed at the rapid movement and ran through the dark laboratory.

"No!" bellowed Stryker as his creation bid for escape.

Through the door the workers had exited came soldiers, who instantly turned their guns upon the man. Bullets echoed loudly through the grimy laboratory, each one striking the large Wolverine. But he ploughed forth unaffected; swiping his new found claws at those that blocked his way. Sparing no one who opposed him. With one fell swoop of the new blades, the men collapsed in growing pool of blood. Wolverine fought through the growing opposition, throwing bodies aside, smashing them out of his way. Bones snapped, blood gushed and agonised screams came repeatedly.

When all around him were down, Wolverine spun round, scouring the room with sharp eyes. Stryker, whoever he was, had gone. Swiftly, Wolverine darted forth meeting a few more soldiers as he sprinted down the corridor. They, expectedly, shot at him, but Wolverine swatted them out of his way, stabbing the two men as he passed. He panted quietly to himself, pained with shock and injury and left feeling so lost and alone. He had no idea were he was, no idea what the claws were coming out of his body, no idea who these people were. But he had just murdered many. He turned a corner, stumbling down a long dark tunnel as he gasped and cried. His blind desperation to get out had made him do things he wouldn't normally do. He wasn't a murderer.

He came to a halt in the tunnel, raising his bloodied claws to his face in inspection. They dripped with blood, the stench horribly strong and sickening. His victim's blood. Caused by the claws he had never seen before, that were implanted into his body. His emotional turbulence reached its threshold as he closed his eyes, letting out an agonised scream of desperation. He lowered his eyes slowly, staring blearily ahead through tear-filled eyes. Ahead of him was a door. Feeling suddenly weak, he stumbled towards it, coughing quietly as he panted for clean air. His bloodied hands pressed on the cold heavy door and shoved it open, disappearing outside.

_He was free._

* * *

With Christmas around the corner, jaunty songs played on the radio, leading to a tap-along with fingertips on the steering wheel. Anna Thompson guided the red, battered pick-up truck across the icy roads with a slight smile on her face as she hummed along to the tune that crackled out of her old car stereo. On the back of a truck was a large fir tree, strapped down safely as she trundled along. A cold blizzard blew through the snowy roads of Canada, howling violently against her truck as she drove against it. Her small spindly windscreen wipers rocked furiously against the oncoming snow. With the heating on the blink, she was wrapped up in thick layers. She could handle driving through bad weather; after all, she had made similar trips often over the years.

But then, the blinding whiteness before her was disturbed as she saw something move into the road. The brake pedal was slammed down, the truck screeching as it slid forward along the ice, veering to one side as it skidded. Anna fell against the steering wheel as her moving vehicle came to a halt. Pushing herself up, she straightened, peering out onto the road before her. She couldn't see anything, and she hadn't hit anything.. was she seeing things?

She shifted uncomfortably. There was been a death on this road a long time ago, and she was never particularly pleased about driving down here. It had been a car accident, and the person that died had been her mother. Reassuring herself with gentle mutters, she moved to set off again, but a sudden noise caught her attention. She quickly looked up, and saw a hand grabbing onto her bonnet; the body was out of view. Then slowly, another hand appeared, and a man pulled himself up from the road, using the front of the truck for support. He remained slightly crouched, panting to himself as he sat in the bitter cold wind.

Anna stared, feeling a sickening shudder in her gut. _I've hit him.. I hit him.._

She could only see the top part of his head, until he pushed himself to his feet, and she saw that he was covered in blood and was apparently naked, "My God.." she quickly pushed open her door, stumbling out onto the white covered roads. "I'm so sorry, oh God.." she quickly moved over to him as he looked round quickly, staring at her with glazed eyes. He was shivering, dark hair dotted by snow. He staggered slowly, a hand dropping down the grab the trunk bonnet once more for support.

Anna stared at him before she turned, running back to her truck where she retrieved a large thick blanket that were stored in case of emergencies. Reaching his side, she quickly forced the blanket around his naked form, fastening it tight as she tucked the rim down. "Come on, I need to get you to hospital." She tried to take him, guiding him towards her truck, but he looked confused, pushing her away.

"No.." he rasped quietly, shaking his head, "I'm not hurt. They're not wounds."

She looked up at him slowly, "What?"

"I'm not hurt," he repeated softly, "I – " he stumbled without her support, coughing quietly as he closed his eyes.

"Come on, I'm not far from home. I'm gonna get you warm at least," she urged him towards the truck, which he moved towards slowly. He didn't think things could get worse, whether this woman's aid was genuine or not, he was willing to take the risk. He didn't have the strength to refuse anymore, merely allowing himself to be guided into the truck's passenger seat. As Anna made her way to the driver's seat, he leant back slowly, pulling the blanket close against his form. Beneath the blanket, a hand clutched against the ice-cold tag that lay against his chest.

He had trekked for hours through the deathly cold landscape, trudging through the thick snow and fighting against the harsh winds. Starved and cold, he was undoubtedly weak, but he was alive. Which was more than any normal human would be after such a situation. He knew that this woman had unanswered questions. Many.

But then again, so did he.

* * *

If you're reading this, it means you've read my chapter, and this is where you recieve my greatest thanks! Please review if you feel like it, they always help.


	2. Help

What fantastic reviews to recieve! You've certainly made one lady very happy. Do it again, please! (:

**Chapter 2**

The truck slowly pulled up a makeshift driveway that was as icy as the road they had just turned off. Wolverine slowly looked up as the vehicle stopped, noticing a small house that was so covered in snow, it blended in almost perfectly into the large woodland around it. He looked round suddenly as he heard Anna exit the car, his eyes quickly darting around before the car door on his side was suddenly open by the woman. She extended her hands to him, but he ignored them, merely pushing out of the vehicle of his own accord. He may be desperately weak, but he wasn't going to be mothered. However, he hadn't managed to get both his feet on the cold earth before he lost his balance and collapsed onto his knees.

Anna gasped as he plummeted and quickly bent down to him, "Let me help you," she insisted, her hands taking hold of his arm as she aided him back to his feet. He did not push her away this time, but instead allowed the woman to guide him across the snow and towards the cabin. She was quick to unlock the door, her hold on him leaving for no more than a few seconds before she pushed the door open with a booted foot and helped him inside.

The room within was dark and unlit, the only light coming through the frosty glass windows. Ahead of them was a living room, leading on towards a kitchen. To the left of the small room was a spindly staircase disappearing up into darkness. The walls and flooring were both made of wood, brightened with a few simple decorations hung off the walls. An unlit stone fireplace sat against the far outside wall, opposite it a sagged brown couch. There was an armchair by the fire with a knitted throw upon it. It was admittedly homely.

Wolverine was an extremely heavy man, and with a lot of effort, Anna managed to get him towards the old couch against the staircase. With a heaved grunt, Anna dropped him upon the couch, and he slumped, quite easily into the sofa material. His head lolled a little as he groaned quietly to himself. Anna had turned away for a mere moment to shut the large wooden door, blocking out the howling winds that was making the small house all the more cold. With the noisy blizzard shut off, the house fell into a rather pleasant quietness.

"Are you sure you're not injured?" she asked softly as she walked back towards the man. Her eyes trailed the bloodied features of the man.

"I'm sure." He sat up slowly, sighing, "I'm just cold."

"Well that's no surprise," Anna crouched besides the seating, looking up at the man, "How long had you been out in the snow for?"

"I don't know," he replied gruffly, "It felt like forever."

Anna straightened slowly worried eyes watching him. "There's a bath upstairs if you want to get cleaned up. I've been heating up some water for myself earlier, so there'll be plenty for you."

"Alright," murmured Wolverine, pushing himself up slowly, Anna took his arm again to help him stand.

"I'll help you up the stairs. Will you be alright with the bath?"

"I know how to take a bath," he muttered quietly as he walked slowly along side her. He couldn't remember a lot, but he had the basic grasps of life.

Anna gave a slight smile, "I know," she said quietly, reaching the staircase. Together, the pair ascended the narrow staircase; with Anna holding onto him particularly tight as he bare feet shakily took each step.

The upstairs area of the cabin was even smaller, for the roofs sloped to the centre. There were only two rooms up here, one presumably been a bedroom and the other, across the hall, the bathroom.

"I'll bring you a towel," said Anna gently as she released the man, "and find you some clothes."

Wolverine nodded gratefully in response before he headed by himself into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He leant against the closed door, a hand rising to his face as he sighed quietly. He quickly pulled the hand from his face, staring at the dried blood that marked it. He could still smell it. He closed his eyes slowly, feeling angry tears burn for release. Forcing them back with a fierce sigh, he shook his head in a bid to try and wake himself out of him thoughts. All he could recall was sheer pain, and the blind desperation as he escaped. He had never felt so angry and so fiercely determined. His escape had been fuelled solely by feral bloodlust, to kill those who got in his way. But looking back, it had made him something he never wanted to be. A murderer. And now here he was, with no memories other that the nightmarish ones he had been subjected to the previous evening. His memories started from the point he decided he wanted out.

It didn't answer anything.

What were his claws?

Who did it?

.. And _why_ did it happen to him?

* * *

The blood was gone. But he didn't feel clean inside. Anna had given him a towel to dry with, and clothes he could wear. Since, he had joined her downstairs where she had forced him to sit in the armchair closest to the fire, which had been lit and was now a gloriously warm blaze. At his feet, Anna sat cross-legged on the rug, having remained silent whilst he ate the food she had prepared for him. She knew she was mothering him, but he had looked so lost and desperate, she felt he needed it. He needed someone to steer him from whatever had happened to him.

_Whatever that was._

There was a moment in which he had lowered his empty bowl to the table besides him and he settled into just staring at the fire sombrely. Anna, deciding against distracting him from his reverie, had she stood to her feet to clear away the dirty dishes. But without any warning, the man buried his hand into his face and from the soft sounds; there was no doubt that he was crying.

Anna regarded him with worried eyes for a moment before she gently placed a hand on his shaking shoulders, "It's alright," she whispered quietly, "You're safe now."

"You don't understand," he muttered amongst his almost silent sobs. "You don't know what's happened. I've killed them, so many of them.."

Hesitantly, Anna canted her head slowly, "Who?"

"I don't know.. I can't remember anything."

"When I found you.. where had you come from? Why were you naked?"

Wolverine slowly lowered his hands, staring into the fire for a moment before he looked up at her, "I had escaped from this place.. it was something like an laboratory. They had done things to me.."

Anna released the bowl slowly and crouched down besides the armchair, watching him closely, "What kind of things?"

"I'm not sure.. but.." he shakily extended a hand towards her, and she looked down at it slowly. The hand clenched into a fist, and with concentration three knives shot out of his knuckle, startling Anna as she fell back with a surprised cry. "They did this," he whispered, shining eyes locked upon the claws as he held them up, "And I don't even know who _they_ are."

"What are they?" whispered Anna quietly, staring at the blades.

"Weapons," said Wolverine solemnly, "And I used them.. to escape." The fist shook as the blades retracted, leaving three bleeding wounds between his knuckles. "I can't remember anything beyond that," he whispered, "I have no idea if I had a life before all this."

"I'll help you," Anna sat up slowly, looking down at the hand that now lay on the chair arm. "To try and discover who you are and who did this to you."

"There's one thing I do know," said Wolverine quietly, looking down at his hand. The wounds between his knuckles were swiftly healing "that I am a mutant."

There was a strong silence between the pair before Anna finally spoke, "Do you think that's why they used you? Experimentation, on mutants?"

"It makes sense.." Wolverine raised his hand slowly, taking the dog tag that was around his neck; he tugged it off, extending it to the woman. "This is my only possession."

Anna took the dog tag in her fingers, turning it so she could read the stamped-in text, "Wolverine?"

"My name. I have no idea what my real one is."

Slowly, she handed the tag back to him, "I'm Anna."

Wolverine watched her gently for a moment before he looked down at the tag slowly, running his thumb carefully across the name, "I have no idea who I am. This is all I have.."

"I'll help you, I promise.. and you can stay here, until you find out what it is you are looking for.."

He merely grunted incoherently, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead on his clenched knuckle. The chain of the dog tag hung from his fisted fingers. Anna stepped back as the man was sat in silence. She gathered the empty bowl from the table, regarding Wolverine gently before she turned away and into the kitchen.

Wolverine sighed quietly to himself as his eyes squeezed tighter, tears trickling slowly down his roughened features when Anna could not see.

* * *

Thank you very much. Please review!


	3. First Nightmare

**Chapter 3**

"Here.." Anna led him across the living room to a closed door, "This is my father's room, but you can sleep here."

Wolverine had followed her, peering into the room as the door was pushed open. He stepped inside, eyes surveying the mild darkness. This room was decorated much like the rest of the house; only it had stuff animal statues in corners and shotgun displayed on the walls. There was a double bed against the far wall, covered in a thick knitted quilt. He turned slowly, looking down at her, "Won't he mind?"

Anna quickly looked up at him before she spread a hollow smile at the misinterpretation, "He's dead."

He frowned, eyes looking away from her in annoyance with himself, "I'm sorry, I didn't – "

"It's alright," explained Anna softly, "It was my fault. This _was_ my father's room."

"So.. you lived here all your life?" asked Wolverine quietly as he walked into the bedroom, eyes roaming an old Canadian map on the wall that was framed.

Anna slowly followed him in, her eyes sadly searching the room, "Yes. I lived here with my mother and father.. but my mother died when I was a young in a car accident. My father, well.. he's been missing for several years now. I've given up hope that he is alive." Anna slowly lowered herself to sit on the large bed, eyes staring at the dresser opposite her. "I think he must've been killed when he was out fishing.. but he couldn't have got lost, he never got lost. My only assumption is that an animal of some kind got him. But I doubt that.." she slowly turned her head, looking back round at Wolverine who was watching her intently.

"Why?"

"Well, he was a strong man, he even fought off a wolf once! With his bare hands!" a fleeting smile passed Anna's lips as memories were recalled. Eventually she lowered her head, running a hand through the long curls of her brown hair, "I went back to the Alkali Lake to see if I could find anything.. but there's been nothing, never has. It's just deserted."

Wolverine's gaze had been wandering, but he stiffened, eyes snapping upon her, "Alkali Lake?"

"Yes.." Anna turned slowly, "The abandoned dam."

Wolverine turned from her, eyes quickly flitting about the room, "Why does that place sound familiar?"

"There's nothing there.." Anna explained quietly, "My father only went because of the lake."

Wolverine just shook his head slowly, "Perhaps I have just heard of it in passing in the past.."

The clock in the living began to chime the twelfth hour, signalling Anna to rise to her feet, "I'll let you sleep," she said softly, making her way to the door, "If you need me, I'm only upstairs, alright?"

"Alright.." The door was closed quietly, and Wolverine was left with the silent room. He quietly walked towards the window, peering out into the darkness of the landscape. The ghostly moon spread an unearthly glow down upon the snow filled hills, causing the distance to glitter strangely amongst the tall soldiers of fir trees. He sighed quietly to himself, turning to glance around the room. He began to make his way to the bed, unfastening the thick woollen shirt Anna had given him. However, a picture on the wall above the bed caught his attention. It was framed and covered with glass. Leaning over to inspect it, he noticed that it was a wedding photograph with the married couple looking absolutely joyful in each other's arms. Below the photo was a small strip; 'Logan and Helen Thompson. Married 1981." Wolverine scrutinised the photograph, coming to the conclusion that these must be Anna's parents.

He stepped back slowly, mind wandering over the possibility if he had left any family behind in his forgotten past. He shook his head to himself defeatedly as he dropped the shirt upon a nearby chair. Slumping down upon the bed, he was quick to settle under the warm covers. He relished the feeling of pure comfort, something he could not recall in his short memory so far. And quicker than he expected, he drifted into sleep.

* * *

A silent house greeted the morning light. Anna had already been awake for a short while and was currently in her bathroom, brushing through recently washed hair. A white towel was closely wrapped around her torso whilst she pulled her wet, straightened curls back from her face. The peaceful silence of the early morning was coldly broken as a terrified yell sounded from the floor below. Her hairbrush clattered to the floor as Anna spun out of the bathroom, running down the staircase as fast as she possibly could and leaping to avoid the last few steps.

She burst through the bedroom door of Wolverine's room, seeing him sat up in bed with a horrified expression on his face. His eyes were locked upon the corner of the room. Anna hurried towards him, looking around the room as she did so, trying to discover what was startling him so, "Wolverine?"

"It's him, he's there!"

"What?"

"He did it to me. HIM!" With a strangled yell he raised his fists, claws accidentally ripping free from his forearms in his fright.

Anna span her head round, seeing nothing but the wardrobe. "Wolverine, there's no one there.. please, calm down!"

"I can see him!"

Anna pushed herself in front of him, her hands fighting to control the man's panicked motions. "Wolverine!" Her hands quickly moved to his face, holding his head still and staring at his eyes intently, softly speaking, "There's no one there.."

Wolverine panted desperately for air, his fearful eyes watching Anna as he gasped quietly. His arms lowered, claws disappearing into shaking fists. He sat there looking suddenly worried and lost. "I could see him.. he looked so real."

"Who?"

"I – I don't know.. I can't remember his name." Wolverine slowly raised his eyes upon her face, realising just how close she was. He cleared his throat quietly, averting his eyes. "I'm alright.."

Anna sat back slowly, releasing her hands from the man's face. "You sure? You sounded so.. scared."

"Trust me, I'm fine now.." he nodded his head, preferring to not be seen as unstable. It was only a nightmare that had got out of hand, that's all it was. "I'm sorry for.. er.. distracting you." He indicated at her towelled form, eyes politely averting.

"I was just getting' dried," explained Anna as she stood up, hands folding across her chest to hold the towel firmly in place, "And you didn't distract me.. you were suddenly vulnerable, and I promised to help you.. and this comes under it." She smiled slowly in reassurance, "You can go back to sleep it you want, whenever you're ready to get up I'll prepare you some breakfast."

"Y'know.. you don't have to do all this," said Wolverine quietly. Whilst he appreciated her help, he could take care of himself. Of course he could. That's what he told himself.

Anna paused at the doorway, turning her head slowly and watching him for a moment between straightened strands of wet hair, "I know.." she smiled shyly for a moment, quickly turning and exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

As he was left in silence, Wolverine leant back slowly on the headboard, sighing in a grieved manner. His eyes fell shut, a hand taking his head almost painfully. It had been more than a nightmare. He knew that, he was kidding himself denying that. It was his escape, brutally replayed. He could still hear screams, both his victims and his own. "No.." he muttered quietly, pushing back the thoughts. He had to stop thinking about them. He needed to move on, away from that. All he cared about was what was happening now, and what he left behind before the incident with his claws and the laboratory.

* * *

It's shorter than the others, but I hope you enjoyed it for there was a bit of revelation there!


	4. It's Lonely

**Chapter 4**

As the weeks passed, Wolverine's presence within the house was becoming a natural day-to-day fixture. Determined to become more than a part of household furniture, he was keen to help her with tasks, some he was undoubtedly better at. On one of the afternoons, Anna was changing one a tyre on a vehicle in her driveway and attracted Wolverine's attention when he heard her curses all the way from the bathroom. Out of curiosity, he headed outside to see her practically attacking the wheel nuts with her spanner in frustration. The ice on them was making it almost impossible to budge the bolts.

He headed over to her, suppressing an amused smile, "You need to give it a bit of force," he informed her unhelpfully.

Anna's face appeared as she wheeled round from the vehicle, "I know." She resolutely continued to try and turn the bolts.

Wolverine stood patiently at her side, leaning against the side of the tall bonnet. As he glanced over it, he recognised it to be a camper van. Whilst it was a little worn, he thought it was a decent vehicle. Snow marked most of its surface, last night's blizzard taking its toll. He peered down to Anna who still could not move the frozen wheel nuts. When she saw him looking, she exhaled an irritated sigh of misty air, and thrust the spanner up at him. She gave him a challenging look before she pushed to her feet and stepped back from the camper. A small smirk could be seen as he took the spanner and crouched down at the wheel. As Anna watched, he tightened his grip around the spanner and wrenched furiously downwards to loosen the bolt. With a crack of ice, the spanner moved, turning the once solid bolt loose.

Satisfied, Wolverine stood to his feet, offering the spanner back with an arrogant smirk. Anna took the spanner, glowering a little, however she stopped, as she looked downward. Then, slowly, she raised the spanner up to their line of sight – the spanner was bent into a crooked right angle. Wolverine stared at it, mouth hovering open a little as he tried to think of something to say. The first thing he could think of was; "Sorry.."

Anna looked up at him, laughing quietly, "I'm guessin' you didn't mean to do that. You don't know your own strength that's for sure." In reply, he could only manage a small shrug, glancing down at his hands in inspection. Anna noticed this, and she began to look concerned. "You don't do you?" she asked, "Is this something to do with the experiments?" she added in a quieter tone.

There was another pause in which Wolverine stared at his hands, "I think it's somethin' to do with the metal in my hands.."

Not wanting Wolverine to start thinking too much over his distressing past, Anna attempted to poke him playfully on the arm with the bent spanner, "Well, that means you can help me with chopping some firewood, seeing as you've got more strength in you."

Wolverine caught her eye, managing a small grin, "Alright. You might as well leave it all to me – seein' how amazing I am."

Anna laughed again, truly pleased that she had successfully steered him away from those murky waters of his memories. "Well, how about you finish the wheel on the camper for me – "

"- An' you sit around on your ass - ?"

" – An' I make you some dinner?"

"That's a deal."

With a grin, Anna nodded as she turned from him, wiping her dirtied hands on the grubby dungarees she wore.

* * *

As the evening drew closer, the darkness began to settle across the bitter skies of Canada, a sunset closing the short day. Round the back of the house, the sounds of a swish and thud of an axe could be heard every short while. Since changing into clean clothing, Anna had spent her time in the kitchen preparing a warm meal for them both. Leaving the food in the oven to remain warm, she dusted her hands down a kitchen towel before she stepped towards the back door and pushed her feet into her boots, exiting to find Wolverine.

The dusty glow of the setting sun threw a blaze of fire across the horizon, adding a small amount of light into swiftly darkening surroundings. A short distance from the front door was a little shed, behind which Anna could see the weak glow of a lit gas lamp. She trudged across the snow quietly, hearing another sound of the moving axe and the dull thump as it struck through the logs. The wind has calmed since the previous night, and the sounds of Wolverine at work carried quite easily. His grunts and sighs as he heaved the axe mixed in with the rhythmic strikes, sometimes punctuated by a crunch of snow as he moved.

Anna slipped round the side of the shed, stopping and leaning up against the wooden wall as she watched Wolverine work with his back to her under the beam-supported canopy. A gas lamp hung from one of the wooden columns, its flame flickering in the wind as it swung slowly and rattled against its hook. Wolverine raised the axe once more, powerfully thrusting it down upon the awaiting log. As the blade hit, the log split into two, and he swept them into a pile.

"You just gonna watch me?" he asked without looking round, straightening and hitching his jeans up a little.

Anna jumped a little at his words, quickly feeling embarrassed, "No.. I just – "

"Don't worry 'bout it," he then said, glancing over his shoulder with a grin, "You can watch me if you want."

Anna felt her cheeks burn a little and was glad it was dark. "I jus' came to tell you that dinner was ready.." Quickly wanted to push aside her embarrassment, she continued, "You've done a good job with those logs."

"Yeah," agreed Wolverine, dropping the axe down upon the pile, stretching his limbs as he turned to her, "I just imaged each one to be the face of the man who did this to me."

"Wolverine.." she murmured reprovingly, not sure if this was a good or a bad thing.

He just shrugged in reply, "How about this dinner then?"

"Just waitin' for us in the oven, now." She straightened off the wall, turning as she began to walk back into the house, Wolverine stalked in behind her, but Anna quickly turned as she gave his grubby form a quick look, "You can wash and change first," she quickly instructed, a fleeting grin passing her face as she headed towards the cooker, pulling oven gloves on.

"Yes, mother," growled Wolverine quietly, but his tone remained light hearted.

"Have a look through my dad's wardrobe.. there should be something in there you like."

"Sure that's alright?"

Anna placed the plates on the counter, her turned head canting a little as she looked down at her shoulder, "Of course," she replied in a quieter voice, turning back to the plate, "Be quick now, I'll be setting the table up."

* * *

A few minutes later, Wolverine returned into the kitchen, face spotless of dirt, hair less wild and a clean change of attire. Anna smiled as he entered, seating herself down at the small kitchen table. It had gone quite dark now, and a few gas lamps were all that lit the room. After taking temporary residence in her house, Wolverine had been treated to various meals each day, always made on time and served steaming hot with well-sized portions. ("You need to eat to help you recover," Anna had insisted day after day.) As he sat watching her eat, he wondered, as if he often did, why she was so keen to help him? Normally his answers boiled down to her being a kind woman, but, if so, he'd had to be very lucky to be picked up by her. Was that all it was, luck? His eyes averted for a moment as he ate, before once more rising upon her and noticing that she was looking at him, or more rather, the shirt he wore. Her lips grew thin and she quickly looked back down at her plate.

"Anna, do you want me to stop wearin' these clothes?" asked Wolverine quietly over the gentle clatter of their cutlery.

"No," she said quietly, shaking her head as she concentrated on her plate, "'Course not."

"But they were your father's and maybe I – "

"No, wear them," insisted Anna, looking up gradually, "There's no point just lettin' them sit in the wardrobe is there?"

"But – "

"It's fine!" she quickly snapped, quickly silencing Wolverine with her sharp tone. Her eyes darted upon Wolverine before down at her plate again, her fingers tightly clenched her knife and fork and her breaths travelled shakily from her nose. But it was clear to Wolverine that it wasn't, he lowered his cutlery quietly, leaning forward in his seat.

"Look, I just wanted to be sure, alright? Don't get upset.."

"I'm not upset," whispered Anna quietly, although her voice said otherwise. "It's just.. difficult."

"I said I can take them off – "

"No.. you need them. An', I said I'd help you, an' you need clothes," she smiled slowly as she looked up at him. "It's not like my father needs them."

Wolverine could sense the persistence in her words, but still heard the effort in which she fought to keep the emotion from her voice. But he nodded his head slowly and looked back at his plate. A silence softly settled over the pair as they finished their meal. When the plates were cleared, without a word, Anna pushed to her feet with her plate. She reached over to pick up Wolverine's and carried the empty plates towards the sink. Here she stopped, even after placing the dirty items down. She stared down into the sink, her hands holding the edge of the worktop tightly. With her back to Wolverine, the beginning of tears could not be seen.

But he could smell them.

He quietly pushed to his feet, walking quietly up to her. Her shoulders shook gently as she bowed her head. A hand rose to her face as she made a quiet sob. "Anna?" When she did not answer, he stepped besides her, looking down at her with a frown. Then, unexpectedly, she turned to face him, her face burying into his chest as her cries became louder. Her hands grabbed the shirtfront, squeezing it in her fists. Wolverine looked taken aback, particularly as she came against him. He looked down at her, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable as he awkwardly patted her arm.

But, her brief tears seemed to be subsiding, for she just breathed tearfully erratic gasps against his chest, sniffing quietly as fingers pushed away her tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered, a guilty expression coming over her face as she stepped quickly away from him.

"No.." said Wolverine quietly as his hand tightened on her arm. "It's alright."

"I just miss him," she whispered quietly, "It's lonely.."

"I'll help you.."

"Help me?" asked Anna as she looked up before she smiled weakly, "It's supposed to be me taking care of you," she murmured, tucking brown strands behind an ear.

Wolverine returned her smile reassuringly, continuing to watch her. "We can help each other.."

* * *

Thank you for reading this chapter, as you can see, it's weeks since he was rescued by Anna, and now, she needs some rescuing too!


	5. The Bell Rang

**Chapter 5**

The remainder of the week passed without much interruption, and Wolverine was glad to find that Anna wasn't getting upset quite as much. There were tell tale signs if he could see her tears coming in the middle of a simple conversation, and he would quickly stop, giving her chance to change subject if she wished. It had worked well so far. One evening, he was sat in the living room, watching the fire remains die away as the hours passed. Behind him, Anna came through the kitchen doorway, surveying his silhouetted form with a small smile. She quietly came up besides him, and whilst she didn't know it, he had smelt her presence quickly and picked up on her footsteps right from the kitchen.

"I was wonderin' if you wanted to go out," she said quickly, looking down at him. "There's a lil' bar further down the road if you're interested."

Intrigued, Wolverine raised his head. A bar? That meant alcohol. Now that was something he'd like to be reminded of. "Yeah," he answered, giving a nod, "That sounds good." He pushed out of his seat slowly. "Do er.. Do I need to change?"

She merely laughed, "Hell no. Those clothes are fine. Plus, it's the kinda place where you're better off blending in."

"Are we goin' in the truck?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll drive. I don't intend on having_ too_ much."

* * *

The red, battered pick-up truck pulled into a dark car park alongside a dimly lit bar. The snow crunched softly beneath the wheels as Anna carefully steered them into a parking spot. Yanking open the tinny door, Wolverine stepped out into the snow, leaning on the top of the doorframe as he studied the rather grim looking bar ahead of them. But he wasn't going to complain. Besides him he heard Anna noisily shut her door, waiting for him to do the same as she jangled her keys in a hand. Closing the door to, Anna was able to lock up the vehicle and together the pair walked towards the entrance.

The sounds of rowdy laughter and loud voices could be heard before they even reached the door. That was no surprise, the car park was reasonably full, and Wolverine was willing to bet there wasn't another bar around for miles.

Anna reached the door first, pushing back the rickety handle as she stepped inside. A cloud of smoke greeted them, the fumes swirling into the rafters from the large amount of smokers. Dim light flickered from bare bulbs, which were lost in the rising smog. Raucous people stood in groups, the men typically large with decent muscle disguised under their beer bellies. Anna pushed through the crowds, Wolverine having to move quickly to not lose her from his sight. Her smaller form slipped through a lot easier than his, and within seconds she had vanished into the darkness.

"Anna?" he called, pushing his way through people. He tried to navigate through comfortably, but he was suddenly jostled to one side, colliding heavily into a burly drinker. The man spun round, beady eyes fixating on Wolverine.

"Watch where you're goin'!" he snarled, "Or you'll be findin' my fist in your face soon enough."

Wolverine glared at him as he began backing away, perhaps getting involved in a fight within seconds of entering was probably not Anna's idea of a night out.

"I ain't seen you round 'ere before," the man continued, beginning to advance on him. "New, ain'tcha, perhaps I need to teach you some manners?"

Wolverine quickly turned, scrambling through the group. He had caught sight of Anna when somebody moved and was determined to make his way towards her. The man behind him was not impressed and was shouting obscenities as he followed.

Wolverine shook himself from the crowd as he reached the bar, coming to Anna's side. She had a small grin, looking sympathetic, "Sorry, I've got used to slipping through that lot. Didn't get too lost did you?"

Before he could answer, the man he earlier collided into had just pushed himself out of the crowd with an angry expression. His eyes darted between Wolverine and Anna. "Anna?"

"What's up, Charlie?"

"You know this guy?" he asked, jerking a thumb in Wolverine's direction.

"Sure. Why?"

Charlie narrowed his eyes at Wolverine before he shook his head with a snort, "Never mind," he turned and within second had disappeared back through the throng.

Anna looked quite bemused, turning her eyes back upon Wolverine, "What happened, did you piss him off?"

"I bumped into him," answered Wolverine truthfully, "He's the one that started making some of it."

"Yeah, he's like that," sighed Anna as she turned to the bar, leaning upon the surface. "So, what drink do you want?"

Wolverine studied her for a moment before he matched her position on the bar, folding his arms under his chest as he leant; "Beer is fine."

"Two beers," requested Anna, holding up two fingers to the bartender in front of her.

As she dealt with the order, Wolverine turned to survey the rest of the room. The crowd was heading towards the corner of the bar where it was lit by a single strip of light. Through the cloudy air a large circular cage could be seen and people were gathering around it, seating themselves on wooden benches.

"What's goin' on?" asked Wolverine, glancing back to Anna who was passing him a bottle of beer.

"Best part of the night," she said with a smile, beginning to head over to the corner. "Cage fightin'."

It had grown quieter now everybody was seated, with anxious mutterings passing by, penetrated by a few crude laughs. Anna and Wolverine settled on the end of one of the benches, watching as a man stepped into the cage with a microphone. "Good evenin' ladies and gentlemen!" he called in response to a cheering crowd, "Got your bets at the ready? 'Cause its time for our first round! King of the Cage for four weeks running, it's Charlie!"

The man Wolverine bumped into earlier made his way into the cage amongst hearty cheers and a few quiet boos. He had since removed his leather jacket, leaving the evidence of his muscles clear to all.

"But who'll be fightin' him tonight?" asked the MC into the noisy crowd.

"I'll fight him!" cried one as he leapt to his feet. Applause and cheers rang through the small bar as a blond haired man jumped off one of the benches and made his way towards the cage.

"What's your name?" asked the MC, abruptly shoving to microphone towards the newest contender.

"Johnny!" called the man into the microphone, giving the crowd enthusiastic gestures as he punched his fists into the air.

The MC patted his back as he stepped away, "Our first contender!" he cried to the crowd. "Bill is comin' round with the bets now. Who are you gonna choose.."

Anna turned to Wolverine as the MC continued talking, "Charlie is the best here," she said softly, "He's been fightin' for years and recently he's been beating anyone who goes against him."

"Are you bettin'?" asked Wolverine curiously.

"Sure I am!" Anna laughed, "Puttin' one on for you too. It's a sure winner. Small, but we'll be gettin' more than we pay."

Wolverine nodded his head slowly, "Alright, you know better than me."

Bill headed their way with a notepad and began to confer with Anna over the betting. Wolverine studied the two men in the cage as they prepared. Johnny was still waving to crowd, jumping on the balls of his feet. Charlie was stood against the fencing with a beer, wisely conserving his energy for the fight. Wolverine lifted his beer to his lips, tilting it back as he drank. His eyes continued to survey the cage until Bill moved away.

"Sorted," said Anna, holding up two slips of yellow paper to him. "Now we jus' gotta wait for him to win!"

Ten minutes later, the chatter had settled down as the MC stood in the centre of the cage with a hand raised for quiet. "Ladies and gentleman, the bets are all in. Charlie versus Johnny!" He quickly backed out of the cage, pulling the large cage door shut. "On the sound of the bell, fellas."

The bell rang.

The crowd noise escalated.

Johnny was forward first, making a run towards his opponent. Charlie was ready however, and as the first punch was thrown his way, he promptly ducked from it, his hands grabbing the offending arm and quickly flooring the man.

"Aw, this is gonna be over in seconds," Wolverine heard Anna murmur, "He's got no chance if he can't block somethin' like that."

"When do we know it's finished?"

"When they can't stand up anymore."

An uppercut struck Johnny as he tried to rise to his feet, the hit then knocking him back into the wire fencing. As he stumbled forward, he was tripped by a kick and was upon his front once more. The crowd reacted with according noises, whooping and cheering and Charlie continued to hit his opponent.

"Like a lamb to god damn slaughter," muttered Anna as she watched Johnny be thrown off his feet yet again.

"I thought you wanted Charlie to win?"

"Johnny clearly underestimated him. He don't deserve such a beatin' though. It's clear Charlie's gonna win. The thing is he wants it to end in style."

Charlie had his opponent pinned under his boot, looking up at the cheering crowd. Anna had risen to her feet anxiously with many others, staring as Charlie held up a hand and began counting off his fingers. The raucous crowd began to countdown from ten, getting noisier the lower they went. Anna gave a nod to Wolverine, "He's done it," she looked back to the cage, clapping as she joined in with the countdown.

The number one was echoed loudly throughout the bar and the MC strode to greet Charlie, "The winner!" he yelled to the frantic applause.

A few men hurried in and helped Johnny out who was sporting a much bloodied lip and a bruised eye.

"Keep your bet tickets safe!" he called, "We'll be roundin' them up at the end of the evenin' and giving you your winnings! That is of course if we get another fighter brave enough to fight Charlie!"

The crowd seemed to be much happier being a spectator this time round, with nobody volunteering to be pummelled as Johnny was.

Anna craned her head, peering over the sea of heads as many others were, trying to see if there was anyone standing to their feet.

"Look after my jacket, would you?"

Anna quickly looked round to see Wolverine stood, pulling his denim jacket off his arms. "What are you doin'?" she hissed, a hand grabbing his wrist and yanking him back down to the bench, "Sit down!" The crowd was peering expectantly their way now.

"I could try and get some cash," muttered Wolverine as he was pulled back to her height.

"Against Charlie! Didn't you see what he just did? After all you've been through I don't want you been attacked like that."

"I'll be fine," he insisted, dropping his denim jacket into her lap, "Jus' do me a favour, huh? Bet on me. The odds on me will be high."

"No – what? Are you crazy?"

But Wolverine had stepped out of the row, making his way down the steps towards the cage. The crowd was cheering again, drowning out Anna's anxious calls. He made his way into the cage, rolling his shoulders slowly and cracking his neck.

"A brave man!" called the MC appreciatively as he beckoned Wolverine towards him. He held the microphone out to him after he spoke, "What's your name?"

"Wolverine."

The crowd began to jeer suddenly at the supposed self-fashioned fighting name. Even the MC was grinning, "Right then, Wolverine. Bill is comin' round with the bets again. Who do you think'll win?"

Wolverine stepped towards his corner in preparation. He knocked back the remainder of his beer before placing the empty bottle down on the small table against the corner. He peered through the misty light of the cage to regard Anna as she sat anxiously watching him in return. Bill came towards her, and Wolverine watched as they talked for a short moment. Looking surprised, Bill scribbled her name down, then tearing off a yellow strip of paper and handing it her with the details. As Bill moved on, Wolverine caught Anna's eye, and she nodded slowly at him.

He turned slightly, shrugging his unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders and laying it upon his chair. His vest was pulled up off his head and dropped down also. His actions summoned a few sarcastic wolf whistles from the crowd. He ignored the taunts, stretching his arms slowly as he readied his muscles.

Anna watched him with concerned eyes, her fist tightly clamped about her betting slip. She studied him as he stretched, the dog tag that lay on his bare chest glinting in the light. With his upper torso naked, it was obvious that he was not lacking in any muscular structure himself. Anna found herself studying his thick upper arms before snapping herself out of it as the reality of the situation came back to her.

"At the sound of the bell, gentlemen," called the MC as he exited the cage.

The bell rang..

* * *

Cliffhanger! Please review this chapter!


	6. King of the Cage

**Chapter 6**

Just as the chime of the bell drifted off into the escalating crowd noise, Charlie came forward, glaring at Wolverine with beady, narrow eyes and raising his fists in preparation. With an expression that was suppose to invoke fear in his opponent; Charlie lurched a fist forward in attack. But Wolverine looked far from intimidated. The watching crowd suddenly roared their approval as Charlie made to strike, but Wolverine's oncoming fist swiped away the limb with ease and made way for a swift uppercut with his other knuckle. The cheers were suddenly transformed into surprised shouts and moans of disapproval. Through the standing audience, he could see Anna, alone in her worry as she watched with concern.

But he had his attention on her for too long, for her eyes had suddenly widened and he realised just why when he felt a foot kick his sharply in the gut; and cause him to double over with a grunt. The same foot pressed into his side, sending him stumbling into the wire fencing of the cage where the closest of the watchers were cheering again and rattling the mesh in a frenzy.

The kicks continued, aiming for his weakest points. Each time he tried to block he was receiving another kick elsewhere. He was knocked off balance as he felt a knee come crashing into his groin and the surge of pain was replaced by a boiling wave of fury. He span round, his foot moving swiftly with him to hit heavily against Charlie's side. The force send the man stumbling and Wolverine only stopped him falling to the floor by punching him into the fencing instead.

The audience was progressively getting quieter as they saw the formidable Charlie being beaten.

Charlie defiantly pushed to his feet, heavily winded and blood trickling from his lips. He made a run towards Wolverine, throwing a fist his way. But Wolverine blocked it with a sudden impact of his knuckles, freezing the man still with a pained yowl. Wolverine secured his grip on the man's wrist and within seconds he was excruciatingly floored – and going nowhere under Wolverine's heavy foot.

Wolverine raised his head slowly, staring imposingly at the crowd surrounding the cage. Almost half heartedly they came into counting down the second, but there was one voice leading them. He saw that Anna had stood to her feet, face in shock, but she was clapping and counting down heartily.

Even as she reached number one, Charlie had no plans to move of his own accord. Wolverine took his foot off the man's chest, he groaned quietly, but did little else. The MC was coming into the cage, directing his men to remove the injured Charlie. He stared at Wolverine, clutching a wad of notes in his hand so tightly as though it might prevent the fact they were going to leave his sweaty grip. He thrust the microphone upwards. "The winner," he muttered quietly. He was getting back into his stride and raised a triumphant fist to the audience, "And a new champion! The Wolverine! The King of the Cage!"

His promising cries geared the crowd back up, even though they had lost their bets, they began applauding and cheering. Charlie had been removed from the pen, and the MC was stood at the gate talking to Bill in undertones. Wolverine continued to glare around at the crowd, but showed no signs of approval to their growing support. He remained surly, stretching his muscles and cracking his neck.

"Hey, what are you - ?"

Wolverine quickly looked towards the gate to see a blur of a running figure before he felt a warm grip and a gentle scent of pine surround him. He looked down to see that Anna had grabbed him around the middle and was holding him tightly as she chattered excitedly. "I thought you wouldn't be able to do it! Not Charlie! I was the only one to bet, Wolverine, imagine the odds! You were right!" She pulled up, beaming up at him with a delighted expression.

As brusque as he was for the crowd, he couldn't help but give Anna a genuine grin. He was about to reply when a large frame bustled towards them.

"Mm, yeah," the MC came towards them, his microphone gone. He was looking at a grubby notepad and flicking through a few pages. "Anna Thompson, the only one to bet on Wolverine." He looked up at her with a regretful air, as though wishing he had got against the norm himself. "Come into the back room, we'll sort out your winnings. You too," he said to Wolverine. As the man ambled off into the smoky atmosphere, Wolverine made his way to his chair, pulling his button up shirt loosely over his sweaty form and merely carrying his vest. Anna swung his jacket over her arm and the pair descended from the cage, making their way through the crowd to collect their winnings.

* * *

The door of Anna's home swung open, a blast of cold wind wheezing inside. Wolverine encouraged Anna to step in over the threshold where she slipped a little and sunk up against the wall in fresh giggles. Since their win, Anna had gone against her plan on driving the pair back alcohol-free, but Wolverine was harder to affect with alcohol and so had to take his initiative and drive them home. Whilst she wasn't too badly affected, she was certainly in high spirits and seemed to be consistently smiling about something or other.

"You completely flattened him," Anna reminded him cheerfully for the sixth time that evening, moving towards him once he had closed and locked the front door. The reflection of the moonlight on the snow cast a ghostly light into the dark house, leaking in through the windows.

He attempted to give her the house keys, "I know," he said, smirking a little at her manner.

But Anna ignored the keys that dangled in front of her. "I reckon," she began poking his chest with a finger, "that you could take on _anyone_!" She nodded impressively before blinking at the keys as though just noticing them. She turned her head up to his face, having misjudged her perspective, her nose bumped into his and they both pulled away in surprise.

Realising the keys weren't going anywhere; he relented in his task of trying to give them to Anna and slipped them into his jean pocket. "Maybe I could," he replied at her comment.

"Yes!" She insisted cheerfully, smiling. "And you'd win every time!"

"You're cold," said Wolverine quietly, then attempting to usher her towards the fireplace. "Go and sit down and I'll light a fire."

She moved over slowly, balance more or less intact as she reached the rugs. Instead of a chair, she lowered on the spot, comfortably tucking her knees besides her. "What time is it?" she asked, pulling a foot towards her and untying her boots.

Wolverine followed over, kicking his own boots off before he dropped to sit on the rug besides her. "Half past one."

Anna made a quiet sort of groan, "Oh well," she concluded, "It's not like I have to get up for anything, really." She idly watched as Wolverine set about lighting the fire, arranging the logs for a moment first. It wasn't long before a gentle fire was flickering before them, lighting up the darkness of the room. There was a comfortable silence for a while, before she spoke again, "Are you always going to be called Wolverine?"

A little startled by this question, Wolverine jerked his head to her, "It's not like I have anythin' else to be known as."

"Don't you want.. a normal name though? Like Fred?"

Wolverine laughed quietly, "Fred? Do I look like a Fred to you?"

The corners of Anna's lips twitched into a smirk, "Alright then, you think of something."

But Wolverine shook his head a little, "I can't really think of anything. What do you think suits me?"

"I think," began Anna quietly, turning serious for a moment, "that you should be called Logan."

Wolverine frowned, that name was familiar. Then it hit him. "But, isn't that – "

" - My father's name, yeah."

Then was a silence in which Wolverine and Anna watched each other, as if waiting for the other to speak first. Finally, Wolverine tilted his head, "Are you sure?"

"You've got the same qualities as him. You deserve to be named after him," announced Anna defiantly with a nod.

Wolverine smiled slowly and nodded his head slowly, "Alright," he murmured softly. "Logan." He glanced to the fire slowly, "Thanks."

Anna returned the smile, shuffling up a little across the rugs so that she could rest against his side. Wolverine found this rather unexpected, and turned his head down to peer at her. His original instinct had been to move away, but he didn't want her to fall. Then, another instinct came over him. This one causing him to gently place his nearest arm about her shoulders. He realised what he's done too late! But he can't suddenly pull away! That'd draw attention to himself.

However, Anna didn't seem to find anything to complain about and she seemed rather relaxed like that. "We should go back at the weekend," she said softly as she watched the dancing flames cast flickering shadows around the side of the fireplace. "Seein' as you're so good at it. Only if you want to," she pulls back a little, smiling up at him.

Wolverine had to admit, there was something very satisfying about the fight he had. As though it accounted for releasing his stress and anger built up deep inside that he had no plan on unleashing upon Anna. "Alright, seein' as we get some cash for it too," he had no qualms about getting money for Anna, after everything she had done for him. He slowly turned his gaze back to the fire, which was dying down a little. "I'll go and grab some logs," he said quietly, gently releasing her and pushing to his feet. He departed from her side after ramming his boots on. He made his way through the kitchen and out the side door whilst ramming his denim jacket on. He stepped out into the snow to fetch a few of the logs that he had chopped up recently.

The night sky gleamed down upon Wolverine; it's smooth canvas of inky black winking scattered stars down at him. He hurried across the thick snow, his heavy weight sinking with each step much more than a normal body wound. He managed to get under the canopy of the shed where the snow hadn't fallen and makes his way towards the reasonable pile of chopped logs. He was just counting out a few when he heard the snow crunch behind him. He turned slowly, looking suspicious for a moment before he saw that Anna had followed him.

Unlike him, she hadn't pulled her coat on, only her shoes and she quickly made her way towards him with a shiver. He was puzzled as to why she had followed him out.

Anna seemed to read this from his expression, since she gave a smile and gestured to the logs, "I've come to help you," she answered gently.

But Wolverine didn't look convinced. He needed help carrying a few logs? He didn't see the point in her coming out when it was so cold. "I'm fine," he watched her for a moment, a hand lightly touching her bare arm. She was freezing! Becoming concerned, he pulled his jacket off her form and draped it over her shoulders instead. "You should go inside," he said softly, rubbing at her now covered arms.

"Perhaps I should," replied Anna with no real conviction in her voice.

There was a lengthy pause in which Wolverine stood and watched her, merely admiring the effect the ghostly glow of the reflecting moonlight had on her face. And it was then, in a moment of confusion and instinct that he leant forward and met her lips with a gentle kiss.

* * *

Please review this chapter! (:


	7. Running

**Chapter 7**

Sunlight burned warmly into Anna's closed eyelids and with a disgruntled sigh she flickered them upon. Her eyes met her sun-washed bedroom ceiling, gloriously beaming with wintry sunlight. Her head turns slowly on her pillow, blinking at her window which had the curtains partially drawn. Through the sliver of a gap she could see the bright sky that reflected enchantingly on the snowy grounds. She closed her eyes again; their sensitivity to light increased since last night's drinking activities.

Last night, the later of the hours were not all that clear in her head. Memories seemed to be a little patchy in places and she wondered if this was how Wolverine felt. No, he's Logan now. She told herself, a small smile coming across her face as this thought crossed her mind. For some reason, seeing the man under her father's name seemed to be a fitting tribute, and it warmed her.

And with that reflection, a whole host of other memories slotted into place that seemed to snap her out of her early morning reverie. From when they were sat together in front of the fire, him holding her and when she followed him outside and was met under the shed canopy by a breathtaking kiss. And then some. She vaguely recalled him bringing her upstairs when she got too tired and put her to bed, even leaving the curtains open a little, simply because that was the way she liked it. After that, he had sloped off, and before she could question him she had gone into the blackness of sleep.

Feeling little a giddy teenager, Anna giggled into her pillow; then feeling appalled with herself and deeply pleased that no one could see her blush. But her cheerfulness remained, and she had a feeling she would be carrying it round like a talisman for the rest of the week. Then, out of the peaceful silence there was the definite sound of her front door closing. Curious, Anna pushed herself out of bed, ambling towards her bedroom window. Her eyes squinted at the brightness of the light, cursing it as she peered down at her driveway.

Then her elevating exuberance seemed to drop out onto the floor along with her leadened stomach. A tall figure was trudging through the snow, passing her parked vehicles and continuing out onto the road, clearly leaving. Anna seemed frozen in place as her face sat shocked. She watched as Logan checked the road for traffic before he crossed over and headed on. Anna forced her hollow self into action, whirling from the window to ram her feet into her boots, running to her bedroom door and flinging it back. As she ran down the staircase, her mind worked heavily to try and make sense of the situation. Hadn't last night ended on a good note? Had he said he was going to leave? She was sure he had never mentioned anything like that, that would stand out. Surely he had no incentive to leave. What was going on!

* * *

Once more, he had had little sleep. Logan that was, as he was constantly trying to refer himself as. _Logan.._ he told himself. Feeling as though shaking off the name 'Wolverine' was part of his cleansing process, even though it would always be part of him. But Logan had been startled awake by nightmares, but there were not the only think on his mind. Skulking around the faintly lit kitchen that morning, he went over the process in his head over and over. What made him do that? What made him kiss her? Sure, it's not like it was negative.. and the night didn't even end badly. So why did he wake up with this feeling of dread?

Did he feel guilty? Scared? Did he think he'd wake up the next morning with a broody Anna or something crazy like that? For some reason, and he felt it ever since he woke up, he felt like running. Getting out of there. Putting it all behind him and hiding from something he couldn't even see. He sighed tiredly, rubbing his aching eyes as he stood before the kitchen window. The morning sun was peeking over the horizon, sending clear rays over a dazzling blue sky. Guilt was nibbling away at him, how could he leave her like that? Just abandon her by taking off one morning? But for some hidden reason, it felt like it would be the best thing to do in the long run.

And his decision was made. Perhaps wildly, recklessly, but it was made. And Logan quickly turned from the window, striding out of the kitchen and into his bedroom where he shoved a few items of clothing into a found backpack. He was sure Anna wouldn't mind. For safety precautions, he also added the blanket in which Anna had wrapped him in when she first found him the previous month. He continued to move quickly, as though this would not give him chance to change his mind. Already he was planning: he'd head out to the next town, doing a spot of cage fighting, get some cash and try and purchase himself a vehicle.

As he made his way to the front door, he paused, looking back at the dark staircase. He knew that Anna would be laid in bed above him, completely unaware of what he was about to do to her. Releasing a sigh he opened the door, pulling it firmly to as he stepped outside. He forced himself onwards, trudging through the snow down the driveway and heading out onto the road. There was no snowfall this morning, the sky crystalline blue and the wintry sunlight giving the slightest increase in temperature. The calmed gusts also helping the temperatures creep warmer. A few moments later, he headed off the road, disappearing into the dense woodland for a shortcut.

Missing Anna's frantic arrival onto the road by moments.

* * *

Anna pushed herself back into her house, feeling suddenly angry and stung by the injustice and lack of answers at this situation. Then, with a wave of determination she strode into her father's old bedroom. Since she had been put to bed with her clothes on, she didn't have to waste time dressing. Logan clearly didn't want to embarrass her by undressing her when she was nearing unconsciousness. She stomped across the bedroom floor, reaching up onto the wall where she yanked her father's shotgun off its mount. Pulling a coat on, she made her way back out, locking the door she striding off to her truck.

She was going to track him down, even if it meant travelling through the dark woodlands - hence the gun. She deserved answers. The car was forcefully yanked into first gear, and with a squeal of the tyres she raced off the driveway, disappearing off down the road.

She had a feeling of where he was headed.

She _needed_ her answers.

* * *

The truck was roughly parked at the side of the road, and she wasted no time jumping out of the driver's seat, her shotgun in one arm as she locked up her vehicle. Within moments she was running off across the snow, disappearing from the clear roadside and into the density of the trees. Besides her car hung a faded, bent sign, the peeling letter's roughly spelling 'Alkali Lake.' She fought her way through the fir trees, smacking the large snowy covered branches out of her path as she stumbled and slipped, eyes frantically searching the area. Through the distant trees she could see a glimpse of light, meaning she was nearing the lake itself.

There was a soft rustle behind her, causing Anna to stagger to a halt. She quickly looked round, "Logan? .. Wolverine?" When there was no reply, her hands instinctively tightened on her shotgun. "Logan?" she tried again, turning slowly.

There was another crunch of snow before everything fell deadly silent.

"Logan..?"

This was no joke, he would definitely have responded by now. But the sound didn't return again. Casting one last cautious glance about the area, she straightened her posture, lowering her gun.

Then her scream pierced the cold silence.

Ghostly shapes burst out of the trees, running for her on four legs. Having no time to shoot her weapon, Anna spun on her heel, running back towards where she had parked her truck, but that was so long ago now.. Behind her, she could hear the soft pad of the animals' paws as they ran after her, growls and barks following. She had never been confronted by wolves before; she'd never gone this deep into any woodland. She just needed to get back into her truck, and she'd be safe. That kept running through her head, like a mantra to keep her burning legs running at full pelt.

She leapt over a small mound of snow, reaching a steep slope. She gasped as she stumbled down it, her feet staggering to try and keep her balance. Her momentum caused her to move faster than she could cope and with a horrified cry she lost her footing, being thrown forward into the snow. The growls became louder, snarls mixing in as the wolves bounded towards her. She pulled her face up out of the snow, chancing a small look. Haunting yellow eyes gleamed at her as one of the wolves burst towards her. Her shotgun lay out of reach. Feeling a wave of frozen fear come over her, her eyes clamped shut in await of the impact.

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Cliffhanger! You want the rest? Review my dears! Review! (:


	8. Alkali Lake

**Chapter 8**

It would happen, any second now. She would feel the impact of teeth and claws and she had no way of getting out of the situation. The seconds seemed to slow agonisingly, but Anna didn't dare open her eyes. A bellowed roar suddenly overpowered the barking of the wolves and Anna felt something swiftly pass by her. Growls came louder, the wolves fiercely snapping.

She slowly opened her eyes. The wolves surrounded a large, hulking figure before her, leaping in to bite and snap. Then all at once, two of them made a lunge for his thighs, another clamping its jaw about a forearm. With a flash of steely claws, the wolves were swiped away like mere irritations. Whimpers filled the air, the wolves beginning to cower. It didn't take long before they had spun on their heel and fled into the dark undergrowth.

Anna slowly picked her head up out of the snow, staring as she watched Logan turn towards her with a fierce glare set into his features. He snorted quietly, glancing off at the path the wolves had taken before looking back at her. He slowly walked forward, ignoring the blood stains that were beginning to form through his clothing. His eyes softened as he regarded Anna, crouching before her, "Are you alright?"

There was no reply from Anna, who was staring up at Logan with shock etched into her face. Snow fell about them in large flakes, dancing along in the breeze and dotting Logan's untamed hair.

"Can you sit up?"

Obediently Anna pushed herself out of the snow, and into a sitting position. Her eyes never left Logan's face. "Why did you leave?" she asked, quickly remembering just why she was out here.

From the look on Logan's face, it was clear he didn't want the answer this question. "It's nothing you've done," he insisted quietly. He then gently placed his hands on her arms, helping her to her feet.

"It must be," continued Anna as she straightened, the injustice of the earlier situation now replacing her fear.

"It's not," said Logan firmly. "I just.. I just needed to time to think."

Anna stared at him, "Think? What is there to think about? Running off means you need to think?"

"Look, it's probably best in the long run."

"Best for who?"

Logan's words fell quiet with a snort. He glared off to the side at a nearby tree, as though it alone was to blame for their current situation. Eventually, he spoke again, "I don't know," he muttered.

Is this because of last night? Because if I remember correctly, it was you who kissed me."

"You were drunk, what can you remember?" snapped Logan, more harshly than he had intended. His eyes met her glare before he grunted and looked away once more, "Yeah, I did," he then admitted grudgingly.

"Well, why – "

"Look, I shouldn't've done it!"

But Anna narrowed her eyes and didn't look at all convinced, "Says who?"

"Probably you. You were drunk.. and I feel like I took advantage."

"It was a kiss," said Anna reassuringly, "Hardly something worth regretting."

"Well, I don't regret it, not really. But I thought that when you woke up.. you'd be pretty pissed off – and I figured it'd be better making my own way out rather than you tellin' me to."

Anna gently extended a hand, taking his nearest arm, "I don't want you to leave. And when I woke up, I wasn't angry.. I was happy – until I saw you leavin'."

Logan glanced down at the snow between their feet, sighing softly. "I jus' felt like runnin'.."

"Don't run, Logan," said Anna softly. "It doesn't solve anything."

Meeting her eyes, Logan managed a very slight nod.

"So.. you gonna come back?"

"Only if you want me to.."

With a quiet laugh, Anna leaned in, giving him a small, reassuring embrace, "'Course I do, I'm not out here for the hell of it." Pulling back she regarded him with seriousness this time, "But don't pull anymore stunts like that, ok? If you really wanna go, tell me."

"I promise," answered Logan quietly, a very small smile on his face.

The pair turned in the snow, making their way towards Anna's truck, which remained at the roadside. Neither of them noticed the small camouflaged camera that sat deep in one of the trees, following their every move.

The car doors were noisily closed, the two within spending a few moments fastening their seatbelts. The camera in the trees remained fixed on them. Just then, within the truck, Logan went very still. Anna watched him with a puzzled face, then asking, "What is it?"

"Start the car," said Logan softly, eyes narrowing as he scanned the trees besides the road. Anna did as he said, the engine quietly coming to life. Logan continued to watch the trees, his face gradually turning anxious. "Quick, we gotta move off."

"What's wrong?" Anna asked as she steered the car into motion, travelling across the roads at a faster speed than wise for the road conditions.

"There's people out there.. watching us.. I can smell them."

As the truck raced along, a figure suddenly strode into the middle of the road, clad heavily in camouflage and a rifle slung over a shoulder. He raised a gloved hand, blocking the road and indicating that the vehicle must stop. Anna gave a soft gasp, automatically slowing the car, but Logan reached over, grabbing the steering wheel, "Go! Put the gas down!"

"We can't hit him!" Anna cried as the moving truck veered over the road.

"We can't stop! This is a bad place, Anna. Don't you recognise this road?"

Anna stared at the soldier ahead, "Where I found you.."

"So keep goin'!"

With a new found determination, Anna's foot slammed down onto the accelerator and the truck shot off towards the man in the middle of the road. Logan released the steering wheel and Anna continued on, shoving the gear higher. The soldier in the road stared at the speeding vehicle, his hand falling as he began backing up, gesturing wildly with his hand. "Stop the vehicle!" he bellowed.

But Anna didn't, and the soldier dived out of the truck's path with inches to spare. Anna had wrenched the steering wheel drastically to avoid a hit, and skidded across the road.

"Come on, keep goin'!"

Once the vehicle had stopped sliding, Anna set it back into gear and raced off once more. She anxiously checked the rear view mirror, seeing several soldiers run out into the road from the trees and aim their guns. She cried out at bullets were shot, the cab window directly behind their heads smashing. She automatically ducked, the truck sharply swerving across the wet road. The back end of the truck swung upon the snowy banking, ramming into an old, weathered sign. It collapsed backwards into the snow, having being snapped in two. The words 'Alkali Lake' quickly disappearing under the heavy snowfall.

Anna frantically set the truck back in motion, its path wavering over the road as she tried to avoid the bullets, which rang as they hit the vehicle. During the reign of fire, besides her she saw Logan's head shoot forward as he cried out, a hand flying up to grab the back of his head. He slumped forward against his seatbelt restraints, the relaxing hand slipping downwards. Anna stared at him; eyes having to dart to the road then back to him continuously. "Logan!" she screamed, "Logan!"

The truck hurtled around a sharp bend, freeing them from the firing range of the soldiers. Anna continued on, still desperately looking to Logan every chance she got. He hadn't responded, and Anna could see the bullet wound on the back of his skull. As she wildly navigated the truck around the swerves of the long road, she continued to put distance between themselves and the soldiers at Alkali Lake. When she could see her small house a short distance away, she stopped the vehicle at the roadside, turning to the unconscious Logan.

"Logan!" she tried again. She knew a normal person wouldn't survive that kind of wound, considering its location. But she was aware that Logan wasn't entirely normal. He could heal, right? So, he should be fine? So why was he unconscious!

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	9. Hunted

**Chapter 9**

Anna hurriedly wrenched her seatbelt back off her form; panic clearly setting in as she stared at Logan's unconscious form. He lay slumped against the restraints of his own seatbelt, his head hung bowed. With a frightened gasp, Anna turned away from him, about to open her car door. But suddenly, a tight grip latched itself about her wrist and with startled cry she spun round to stare at Logan.

His hand was holding her wrist, and his head slowly picking itself off his chest. "Anna?"

Anna leaned closer, staring at him with worried eyes, "Logan? Are you alright?"

Quietly, Logan spoke, "I'm fine now.. Are you?"

"Well, we've lost the soldiers.. " she anxiously checked the rear view mirror, just in case. "We ought to get back to the house." She started the engine once more, the truck hurriedly pulling away from the verge to continue it's journey to the house further down the road. Her eyes performed a continual check from the road, to her rear view mirror and to Logan besides her before restarting the cycle. Eventually, the truck pulled into the driveway, which had received a thin covering of snow since that morning.

Anna slipped out of the truck, pulling her shotgun with her as she anxiously scanned the distant road. Logan had made his way out and was hurrying to the front door. Anna came up alongside him, unlocking and gaining them entry into the house. As soon as they were both inside, she slammed the wooden door closed, then turning and staring at Logan. "What the hell just happened out there?"

"Alkali Lake, that's what happened," growled Logan, throwing his jacket off his arms and onto the couch behind him. He stepped back and rested against the armrest, folding his arms. "I went to take a look.. but couldn't see nothin' but the lake."

"Why did those soldiers want us? Were we trespassin'?"

"No.. I told you, that's where you found me, Anna.. I think those soldiers wanted me back."

Anna frowned, looking highly discomfited as she stared into the unlit fireplace.

Logan watched her for a moment, "What is it?"

"Remember.. that's where my father went when he disappeared." Her eyes moved back onto him and they shared a knowing glance. "Maybe the soldiers saw him? He spotted something, he saw too much, and before he could get away, they shot him?"

Logan didn't answer. It made perfect sense, but he didn't want to be the one to confirm that her father's disappearance had in fact been a murder. His eyes fell downward, staring at a fraying patch in the right knee of his jeans. A silence had fallen between them but it didn't last long. A soft gasp sounded and as Logan raised his head he saw that Anna had leant back on the closed front door, a hand over her eyes.

He slowly stood up off the armrest, taking a few steps to complete the short distance between them. He didn't speak, merely slipping an arm around her back and pulling her in against his chest in a comforting embrace. In response, she nestled her head against his shirt, her cries becoming louder as she was held. Unable to find anything suitable to say, Logan remained silent, but inside, fervently supportive of the attacks he had administered in his escape from Alkali Lake.

He gently tightened his grip on her, one arm about her waist and the other embracing her shoulders. His hand softly supported her head, his chin lightly resting upon her the russet crown of her head. Within his arms he could feel her small form tremble with each tearful breath and his hands gently caressed her back in comforting motions.

"What are we going to do?" Anna asked softly, her tearful eyes staring at the nearby table.

Gently, Logan pulled his head back so he could look down at her, "What do you mean?" He pushed strands of hair out of her face, a thumb then brushing away the trails of her tears.

"They know you're still alive, and that you're with me. What if they come looking?"

"I doubt they'd come far out when they don't know exactly where I am. They'd need to plan, and that'd be weeks. We have time, Anna." Anna slowly nodded her head, eyes rising to look up at Logan. "Why don't you go and have a bath?" suggested Logan, wiping away a droplet from her lashes. "I'll stay down here.. keep an eye out. I'll have a fire going for you when you come back down."

Anna managed a small smile at his kind nature; aware he was trying very hard to cheer her up, to reassure her. "Alright," she answered as she lightly pulled herself free of his hold and made her way towards the staircase. She climbed a few steps before she glanced back to see him watching her. She averted her eyes bashfully before hurrying up the staircase.

* * *

An hour later, Logan was sat on the rug in front of the fireplace, staring down into the depth of the flames contemplatively. Even though it was still daytime, it had turned dark very quickly, for the outside of the house now bellowed with a fierce blizzard that threw large flakes of snow up against the windows and rattled the wooden door. Logan hadn't bothered to light up the rest of the room, leaving it mainly in darkness save for the orange hue of the fire.

Behind him, Anna slowly descended the staircase, her clothes since changed. Logan looked round when he heard her entry, smiling a little. The scent of her freshly cleaned form came before her footsteps. She walked across the wooden floor to join his side, lowering down to sit besides him on the rug. "You feelin' better?" Logan asked as he watched her join him. He automatically placed an arm behind her seated form.

"Yeah. Today's just been.."

".. crazy."

Anna glanced at him with a smirk, "Yeah."

"I'm sorry about leavin'.. "

"Hey.. it's alright," said Anna quietly as she looked up at hm. "Don't worry about it now."

Logan leaned in a little as he placed a kiss against her cheek. "I guess I just panicked.. ever since.. well - sometimes I'm not sure what to do with myself."

"I said it's alright," Anna reminded with a small smile.

A sheepish grin flitted across Logan's lips. "I know," he said simply, before he leant his head down a little further to hers, meeting her lips gently in a kiss. Anna slowly lifted a hand towards his face, her fingers lightly brushing through the coarse brown muttonchops. Forgetting their earlier troubles, Logan pursued with the kiss, his hand extending from his lap to lightly take Anna by the hips.

The action spurred Anna on all the more, who by now had pushed off of her knees and against him. Logan's hands tightened about her, pulling her closer against him. Their lips hadn't parted and their kiss was becoming increasingly amorous. Logan wondered who was leading it, but it appeared to be a shared ardor for he didn't feel like stopping. However, even in the midst of their passions Logan's senses were still on alert. He froze still for a moment before he attempted to pull back from Anna.

"No," she whispered softly, leaning in to take his lips once more. But Logan shook his head, his hands raising to gently take her face in order to encourage her to stay aaprt when he attempted to move back for a second time from her eager kisses.

"Anna, no. Wait, wait.." he muttered, as she tried to continue the kiss. He gently stroked against her cheek, eyes settling upon hers. Outside the front door there was a quiet rustle, and this time Anna heard it too. Without a word, Logan tightened his arms around Anna and promptly pulled her to her feet with little effort. His hand was tightly about hers as he silently ran towards the kitchen in order to get out of the back door. Anna was staring back at the front door as she was dragged along. A shadow passed by one of the living room windows.

Logan threw his hand down towards the doorknob of the backdoor, just about to grab it when the door was forcefully kicked in, tumbling out of the doorframe. The heavy wooden door groaned off its hinge as it tumbled towards Logan. His eyes widened as he saw the door come upon him. His hand quickly left from Anna's to fly up towards the door as it crashed up him, he growled as he grabbed hold of it, his feet digging into the floor to stop the weight of it falling anymore.

Anna backed away from the scene with a gasp, but she hurtled round to see the front door suffer the same fate, and with no one to hold it closed, dark figures suddenly sprinted inside. Logan was struggling with the door, his feet slipping as he tried to keep out the soldiers on the other side who strained and pushed in return. With another growl his hands tightened and he ripped the door to one side, causing those pushing on the other side to fall to the floor. He growled as his head spun round, and with the door still in either of his hands, he threw it across to them, the heavy wooden door spinning as it caught the soldiers in their guts, throwing them backwards to the floor.

Anna had run backwards into the kitchen, her back against the wall as she gasped, eyes wide in fear. Logan's eyes glared around the room, heavy breaths exhaling from him in a feral manner. His knuckles lowered and with a _'snikt'_ his claws burst free of his knuckles. "Come on then," he growled. His eyes narrowed, adamantium dog tag swinging from his neck.

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Cliffy, woo! Please review this chapter guys and gals!


	10. Stryker's Men

**Chapter 10 **

Silhouettes passed over the light from the fireplace as the figures continued to navigate their way through the small house. In a bid to keep distance between her and the oncoming soldiers, Anna shifted slowly, slipping along the front of the kitchen counter till she was nestled in its corner. Across the room, on the other side of the kitchen stood Logan, his claws still ready for the oncoming figures. Behind him, the floored soldiers were beginning to stir. The sounds of guns being cocked could be heard, and weapons were raised as Logan was advanced upon.

The atmosphere was tense, for the soldiers came quietly and Logan stood frozen still without a word. Anna glanced between them, waiting for one of them to snap and begin the fray that was so heavily expected. Her eyes flickered upon one of the soldiers behind Logan, who was remaining crouched on the floor as he readied his rifle to fire into Logan's back. Anna stood fearfully silent, her hands gripping the worktop behind her fiercely, her fingernails digging it. Before long, it was her who snapped with a broken, "Logan!"

Her cry signalled the beginning of the fight, for as soon as she spoke, he spun round, grabbing the rifle by the barrel. He moved so quickly that the soldier didn't even have time to release the gun, let alone shoot and he was hurtled across the room by his thrown weapon. The bullets of the oncoming soldiers began to fire, the sounds filling up the tiny kitchen. With a gasp, Anna threw herself to the floor to avoid any strays bullets, crawling on her hands and knees towards the scrubbed dining table in the centre. She pushed herself underneath, squeezing into the tight space. Feral roars began drowning out the other sounds, mixed in with the chorus of screams and sickening gargles. Her hands flew to cover her ears in a bid to escape the horrific sounds around her. Besides the table, a body collapsed to the floor, glassy eyes of a young soldier staring unseeingly at her as blood poured from a gaping neck wound.

With a strangled sob she fought to turn her eyes away from the sight, eventually having to shut them tightly. But her protective cocoon from the destruction around her didn't last long, for the table that covered her was suddenly snatched from its position and was flung across the room by Logan to hit a group of soldiers. Anna screamed as her cover was lost, scrambling backwards across the slippery bloodied floor to huddle herself in the corner of the kitchen units. Now everything was clear for her to see and her wide eyes stared in transfixed horror as Wolverine easily threw a soldier off of his back, where they had begun desperate measures to stop him. Another human was back slashed with his claws, being hurled against the kitchen wall with a bloodied squelch.

Anna remained tightly in the corner of the kitchen units, her legs drawn up to her chest in a bid to make herself hidden, but the last of the soldiers had spotted her, and unaware that his only remaining team mate was gone, he advanced towards her. Anna's eyes snapped upon him, staring at him as he came closer, her mind panicking about her next course of action. If she was quick enough.. she could get to the door and get out. With a determined grunt she threw herself forward, stumbling to her feet and leaping to slip past him, but he grabbed her swiftly about the waist and tossed her back against the kitchen counter. She gave a surprised cry at the grab, quickly struggling against his hold. All of a sudden, she felt something wet splatter her face and she stared down at his chest in horror where three gleaming red blades were sticking through the front of his uniform. Her eyes trailed to the man's face where he was staring at her, drawing in a ragged, pained gasp.

Swiftly, the claws were pulled backwards, and without the support, the man slumped downwards, hitting the floor in an awkward position. But he wouldn't feel the discomfort. His lowering body revealed Logan stood behind him, his face marked by blood, wounds clearly in the process of healing all over his body. Bright, wild eyes stared at Anna as his muscular chest heaved with every pant for air.

"You alright?" he asked, even his voice appearing to be rougher.

Very meekly, Anna nodded her head in answer.

"Let's go." Logan grabbed her camper keys from the counter, as opposed to her truck keys and turned to make his way to the broken back door. Anna followed him out, casting fearful glances over the numerous bodies which now littered her home. Pools of blood filled the floor, with the crimson smeared over her walls and splashed in places. She gave an involuntary shiver before she hurried out into the snow, welcoming the blast of ice cold air that relieved the stench of death.

Logan moved ahead with a swift purpose, his strides long and fast. Upon reaching her camper, he let himself inside, already starting the engine when Anna climbed into the passenger seat. She found her voice from the pit on her stomach, words quiet and unsteady. "Where are we going?"

"Away from here," answered Logan simply, his harsh tone seeming to have faded with the feral burn in his eyes.

Anna didn't respond to this, for it was a satisfactory answer. She exhaled a weak sigh as she leant her head against the cold window besides her, eyes staring out at the roadside as the camper pulled out of her driveway and out across the dark roads. She didn't speak as Logan drove them along, ignoring the stains that still marked his hands and facial features. Anna fought to keep her eyes on the moving scenery that flew by, concentrating on anything other than what happened a few minutes ago.

* * *

The sky was still dark, with the distant horizon void of any light. The camper continued to trundle along the quiet roads. Within, Logan was still intently concentrating on his driving, and Anna still watching the world pass by outside. After their silent few hours of travelling, she finally spoke. "There's nowhere to go," she told him quietly, still not moving her gaze from the window.

"I never said we were goin' anywhere."

"So we're just gonna keep drivin'?"

Logan nodded his head, "Until we feel it's safe to stop."

"We've been driving for ages," she reminded him quietly. "Please, can we stop?" She slowly looked over to him, meeting his momentary glance as he took in her appearance. There was a note of desperation in her request.

"Alright," Logan agreed softly, slowing down the camper's travels and navigating them into the roadside where the vehicle pulled up quietly. As the engine died off, the silence became more prominent. "I'm sorry you had to see all that."

Anna pulled her head from the glass once more and slowly shrugged her shoulders, "It was necessary," she said quietly. "You got us out alive, that's the main thing."

"But.. I lost control, I couldn't stop myself.. not until they were all dead." He was staring at his hands, which were still resting on the steering wheel. There were prominent trails of dried blood where his claws had been. "I lost control like that when I was trying to escape before," he slowly looked over at her, meeting her eyes which had been on him all the while he spoke. "I don't understand it.. it's just.. this massive urge to try and kill those who are against me."

"It's alright," whispered Anna. "You're out of there; you're away from them all now. If we keep moving, they'll never find us. They'll never find you."

"But.. what about your home? You're leaving your life behind.. everything you have."

But Anna shook her head, "No, I'm bringing the most important thing with me."

The pair watched each other for a moment before Logan gave her a small smile. "Do you want to get some sleep?" he asked, sitting up, for he hadn't buckled his seatbelt when he got in.

"Yeah," Anna glanced behind them at the accommodation in the camper. "There's only one bed though – "

Logan quickly solved that, "I'll sleep on the floor," he told her, in a finalising tone, for he could see she was about to argue.

Relenting, she gave a slight grin, nodding her head. "Fine." She unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car, proceeding through the snow at the roadside to reach the door at the back. Logan was close behind her, and provided the vehicle keys to let them in. He held back the door to allow Anna to slip inside first before giving a cautious glance about the area. A sniff of the air followed, and when satisfied, he pushed himself inside.

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Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review for me to (hopefully) enjoy in return!


	11. Wants and Needs

**Chapter 11**

The camper bed wasn't the comfiest thing Anna had ever slept in, but it wasn't the worst either, and after the day's horrific events, she was more than happy to drift off into sleep. However, it wasn't coming as easy as she hoped, for her eyes stared up at the ceiling as her mind replayed the experience so much, she was sure it would continue on into her sleep. Besides her on the floor was Logan, who too seemed to be having difficulty in falling into slumber. Anna rolled over onto her side, looking down at him. He quickly noticed her attention and made a weak smile at her.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" she asked him in an unnecessary whisper.

Logan's eyes returned to the ceiling when he muttered his answer. "Keep drivin'."

"Till when?"

"Till we feel safe." He looked back at her again, frowning as he realised the guilt he felt with that answer. "I'm sorry for bringin' all this upon you," he said softly, now sitting up. His head height matched hers now and he could clearly see her tears through the darkness. "Anna.."

Anna closed her eyes in a bid to disguise her tear, but instead they leaked out of the corners and trickled down towards the pillow she lay upon. "It's not that. I don't blame you," she insisted with a shaky murmur. "I'm.. I'm just scared." She eased open her eyes to watch him through thick tears that covered her pupils. "Scared of them, scared of what happens next."

"Don't be."

"I am."

A sigh was heard as Logan leant back against the wall. "Everything will be fine," he assured her quietly. "As long as we keep movin' and shake 'em off our trail. They knew I was in your house, but now I'm on the move, it'll be harder for them to follow us."

"The further away from Alkali Lake the better," Anna muttered bitterly as she wiped her tears on the pillow she rested upon.

Logan extended a hand towards her, his fingers gliding over her dark hair before lightly caressing her head in comfort. "We'll never go near it again," he promised, leaning forth himself and resting his chin on the pillow she laid upon. Her eyes rose to meet his, their proximity so intimate she could see the small flecks of amber on his dark brown irises. His gaze had lost their wild gleam from his earlier fight, and now held complete reassurance for her. "I won't let them hurt you."

Anna nodded her head slowly, "I know," she whispered, leaning over a touch more so she could give his nearby lips a small kiss. He moved into the embrace, his hand still supporting her head.

Their lips only parted after a good while, and Logan gently rested his forehead against hers. "I'll let you sleep."

But Anna shook her head gently, "I won't be able to sleep," she replied softly.

Logan pulled back, his eyes gently studying hers. "I'll stay here," he assured softly. "You don't have to worry."

"That's not what I meant," Anna said as she pushed herself back to his lips again, her hands slipping across the thick column of his throat to hold him against her until he got the idea. There was a moment's hesitation before his hand rested against the back of her head once more, pulling her close against him. He eased himself up upon the small bed, which had little room for them to be side by side in their actions. He settled himself on top of her; his knees carefully placed either side of her hips so his weight would not hurt her. Their kiss continued, both of his hands lightly caressing her cheeks as he pulled back and stared down at her.

"I don't want to do anythin' you don't – " he was silenced as Anna pulled him back down against her lips once more to hush him with a fiery kiss.

"I know what I want," she replied with her lips against his. And there were no more objections that Logan could find - he knew what he wanted. What he needed.

* * *

Logan was lulled out of sleep rather peacefully to find himself tightly in the single bed of Anna's camper. With little room, both of them were forced to lie on their sides. He was quite trapped, with his back against the cool wall of the camper and Anna snugly nestled against his chest. But he didn't hold any objections, for he smiled a little as he craned his head downwards to kiss the crown of her head gently, inhaling her familiar scent. He had an arm comfortably wrapped about her midsection, keeping her back warmly pressed up against his bare chest. The body heat was most certainly needed in these climates. He lightly nuzzled her bare shoulder as he lay there, gently enough as to not disturb her sleep.

But then he became chillingly aware of a distant sound and the scent of gunpowder caught his nose. His eyebrows contracted abruptly as he leapt over Anna's form with ease, not even wakening her in the process. His ears listened intently as he paused. He could definitely hear many footsteps scuffling in the snow a distance away. Whoever was out there, they were giving the camper van a wide berth at the moment. Logan cursed to himself as he grabbed his jeans from the floor, hurriedly ramming his feet into the designated holes. His vest top was hastily pulled over his head, boots shoved on before he ran towards the cab at the front of the van. He vaulted over the seats, starting the engine swiftly. Without so much of a pause, the van raced away with a screech of the tyres on the ice, this abrupt motion waking Anna.

She blinked as she felt the vehicle rumbling over the road, and she quickly looked up, squinting her eyes at Logan in the driver's seat. "Logan?" she called. "What - ?"

"Soldiers are out there," he said hurriedly as he continued to race along the roads. It was only a short while after dawn; the sun had barely lit the ground of its golden aura.

Anna gave a soft gasp at this, her eyes widening. "Are they followin'?"

At this, Logan checked his side mirror, answering with a solemn. "Yes."

"Damn," Anna sat herself upright, abandoning all modesty as she flung the covers off her form as she jumped out of the bed and beginning to dress very rapidly. This was a hard task, for Logan had the tendency to hurtle them around sharp bends and take them down dirt tracks that looked rarely used. But he was determined to throw the soldiers off their trail. Anna stumbled towards the cab, now dressed, though a little haphazardly so. But this wasn't the time to worry over her appearance. She awkwardly climbed into the passenger seat, checking her side mirror to see armoured vehicles tearing after them.

"We're gonna have to make a run for it," Logan muttered as he wrenched them around another sudden corner.

Anna threw him a startled look. "Run for it?" she repeated.

"They're in their vehicles. If we're on foot we can get through the forest quickly and hide from them."

"Logan, I don't think I can.."

Logan abruptly wrenched the camper off the dirt track, shoving them into some deep undergrowth that led into the woodland. "You can. C'mon," with that he grabbed her hand, leaping out of their driver's door and sprinting through the clearing before they delved into the trees and began darting through the shadowy forest swiftly. Anna's feet struggled to keep up with Logan's, her legs in disarray as she stumbled and slipped in the snow. The sounds of the armoured vehicles screeching to a halt echoed hauntingly behind them and the commands of officers could be heard as they ordered their soldiers on through the forest.

Trees darted past Anna in a frenzied blur, her only guidance the hand that clamped onto her tightly. Abruptly Logan stopped running, throwing them into the shelter of a large tree trunk. "Can you climb trees?" he asked her hurriedly.

Panting, she stared at him, "Well, sure, I climbed a few when I was a kid.."

"Good," he answered. "Climb this one."

Anna looked up at the tree, which towered up before her. "This is a little bigger."

Without explanation, he grabbed her about the middle, practically throwing her against his back. "Hold on tightly!" he ordered before he leapt at the colossal tree trunk, climbing up the large surface swiftly, his fingers digging into the bark as he fought to gain height before the soldiers came close. His sensitive hearing easily picked up Anna's frightened gasps for breaths as she painfully clung onto him. Her nails were digging into the flesh of his shoulders, but he could handle it.

He could hear her scared mutterings, words of doubt and disbelief. He very briefly caught the whisper of, _"I can't.." _before she gave a horrified gasp as her footing slipped from his hips. She tumbled backwards, her fingernails clawing bloody trails down his back as she plummeted downwards.

He felt his blood run cold from the shock and pain.

"ANNA!"

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Cliffhanger! Review like you mean it!


	12. Numb

**Chapter 12**

Pain seared through Logan's back as ten cuts sliced down through his clothing and into his flesh. Anna cried out as her hold vanished, her body tumbling backwards into the open air. Her arms flailed, but there was nothing to latch onto to save her. Logan threw his hand out to grab her, but his fingers painstakingly brushed hers in a miss. He panted in his efforts, abruptly throwing himself backwards with no regard for his own safety. He back flipped from the tree trunk with a surprising grace; he threw out his hand again, his fingers firmly snatching her wrist. The pair fell together as Logan outstretched his free arm, heavily grabbing a passing tree branch. Their fall was halted with an abrupt tug, leaving Anna gasping for breath was she dangled above the drop, her only hold being Logan's hand.

Logan's hand dug hard into the branch as he held both of their weight up, the numerous slices down his back healing up to leave bloodied trails. He panted heavily as he glanced down at Anna, his gaze meeting her shocked eyes. "I gotcha," he muttered. He eased himself up onto the branch, straddling it before pulling her up and setting her on to the branch in front of him. He sandwiched her in between the trunk and his body, making sure she wasn't going anywhere. "You all right?" he whispered as he watched her.

Swallowing, Anna nodded her head, apparently too numb to talk. Logan glanced down at the forest floor, which was still a good twenty-foot drop. Soldiers were advancing through the foliage quietly; their weapons armed and ready as they cautiously glanced around the area.

"_Logan._." whimpered Anna fearfully as she stared down at one of the soldiers who was passing right below their tree. Logan abruptly pressed his fingers to her lips, her eyes staring at her in silent communication. Slowly he looked back down at the foot of the tree where soldiers had begun to tread closer, looking around intently. Logan carefully reached backwards, silently snapping off a secondary branch. He suddenly flung over his head, causing it to soar across through the trees where it hit noisily. The soldiers quickly tensed up before than burst into a run across the forest floor to follow the sound, leaving the area.

Gradually, his fingertips left Anna's lips, trailing across her cheek to then cradle the back of her head gently. "We're safe now," he told her in a whisper, reaching in to give her forehead a reassuring kiss.

"We're stuck in a tree," Anna reminded him weakly.

"At least we're both alive," he replied with a raised eyebrow.

Anna watched him for a moment before she glanced down at the drop, "I suppose now's a bad time to mention I'm not very good at heights."

"You said you climbed trees when you were a kid?"

"I did, until I fell out of one. I'm not very good at holdin' on once I'm up there," she grinned meekly.

Logan gently rested his hands on either of her straddling thighs, "You're not goin' anywhere," he assured her. "Just keep your legs wrapped tight around the trunk."

"We could be here hours," muttered Anna.

"Maybe.."

Anna smirked a little, "Our asses are gonna be so numb."

"I'd rather have a numb ass than have lost you," Logan responded with a small smile.

* * *

The hours passed rather slowly, but the two kept themselves occupied with whispered conversation. Logan looked out across the trees, the view admirable. Anna kept clinging onto Logan whenever he moved, disliking the height at which she sat. "We can get back to the camper now," he said softly, his eyes turning back upon her. "They've left the woods."

"Yes, we now just have to get down the tree," Anna muttered regretfully as she nervously glanced down.

"Look, just hold onto me. As tight as you want, I'll be fine." Logan gently lifted himself off the branch and back round onto the large tree trunk. "Climb onto my back."

Anna stared at him, the idea of moving terrifying her. "Logan, I can't."

"You can."

"I can't!"

"Anna, you can't sit in this tree forever."

Anna bit her lower lip, frowning, "I know.." she murmured weakly.

Logan shuffled a little closer to her, making the distance she had to move shorter. "Go on, just grab hold of me. You can do it." Tentatively, Anna reached out a hand, taking hold of Logan's shoulder tightly. "That's it, twist round." Anna followed his instructions, swivelling off the branch and extending her other hand to his opposing shoulder. "Gently now." Anna gave a soft gasp of fright as she swung herself off the branch, her legs dangling as she grabbed Logan around the neck desperately. She quickly brought her legs up to hook around his middle, quickly getting herself in a more comfortable position for both of them. "Don't let go," said Logan before his claws shot out of his knuckles and into the tree. His feet left the tree trunk and they swiftly plummeted downwards, his claws keeping them against the tree.

Anna let out a soft cry as they dropped down. Abruptly, everything stopped, and Logan was now stood on the forest floor and trying to peel her clinging arms from around his neck. Anna reluctantly released her grip, her legs shakily stumbling over the earth. "Oh my God.." she muttered under her breath, the world around her still spinning. She eventually stopped her staggers, leaning forward against the tree as she caught her breath.

"Are you all right?" Logan asked as he stepped towards her, resting a hand on her back.

A wry chuckle sounded between her pants. "I think I left my stomach up in the tree."

Holding back a smirk, Logan reassuringly rubbed her back. "It was the quickest way to get out of the tree."

"I can feel that," Anna muttered, blinking. She straightened, taking a great breath of air before she sighed, sorting herself out mentally and physically. "Right, I'm o.k now."

Logan fastened his hand about hers, "C'mon, let's get back to the camper." He set off in a light run, Anna hurrying alongside him. The distance felt much longer than before, but Anna decided this had to be because the soldiers weren't right behind them. Their entry into the forest had been a blind panic fuelled purely on fear and adrenaline. A short while later, they reached the roadside, where Logan abruptly darted behind a tree, pulling Anna with him.

His eyes narrowed and he cautiously scanned the apparently empty road. He sniffed the air a few times before he stepped out from behind the tree, releasing her hand. "Just let me check some more," he told her in a whisper, apparently dissatisfied. He quietly advanced out from the dirt of the forest floor and on towards the roadside. The camper appeared to have been left untouched, for it was still haphazardly parked with its bonnet in the bushes. Logan glanced over it's exterior before he ventured out onto the road itself. He trod with care, anxious as he was exposing himself.

There was a sudden squeal of starting tyres, and Logan barely had time to look as a heavily armoured vehicle roared down the road towards him. Logan's eyes shot wide as the front of the large vehicle slammed into his side, catapulting his body over the top of the roof and hurtling him into the icy road beyond. Anna threw herself from around the tree, staring with her numb heart in her throat. "No!"

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Another cliffhanger! We're reaching the end of this story now, so please be kind and leave reviews!


	13. Why?

**Chapter 13**

Logan barely had time to see the armoured vehicle as it raced towards it. All he was aware of was the unimaginable pain as the bull bars guarding the bonnet slammed into his side and threw him skyward. Painfully cold air blasted into his face as he tumbled through the air, his body heavily colliding into the icy road beyond. He exhaled an unsteady groan as he pulled his bruised face up from the road, feeling his healing kick in on the damaged lower half of his body. Gasping, he staggered to his feet, only to see more vehicles racing in and barricading the road. The one that had hit him turned round to face him challengingly, soldiers within ready with their weapons.

He stood there with heavy breaths, slightly doubled over with his hands on his knees as he watched the vehicles filing in around him. Anna appeared at the roadside, her face distraught as she stared across at him. She ran into the road, hurrying across in desperation to reach his side. Logan quickly looked over to her, his eyes only meeting hers for a moment before a black blur engulfed her with the chorus of an engine and a scream. Logan's eyes widened, his anger intensifying in a blind rage as her saw her limp body tumble to the snowy roadside. He released a low growl as his extended his arms, his claws swiftly sliding out from his knuckles. His dark eyes slowly came upon the soldiers of the offending vehicle and he sprung towards it, ignoring the injuries he still had healing.

Logan could barely see what he was doing, he had lost control. His claws sunk into every awaiting victim before he leapt away and massacred the next truckload. Bullets fired at him repetitively, but they were just mere irritations. Those who shot him soon fell under a swipe of his bloodying blades. Specially reinforced doors were nothing to Logan, who sunk his hands into it and ripped them away before meeting the humans inside with an ear splitting roar. Every vehicle had their transmission devices destroyed with a single slash - Logan wanted no more following him after his final wage of war.

Everything filtered back into view as he stood in the centre of his carnage, panting for breath and stained in the many bloods of his fallen enemies. Claws rode back into his forearms, slits healing swiftly once they were hidden. He slowly cracked his neck as he straightened; his own wounds healing as his mutation kicked into a desperate over-drive. His breath exhaled soft mists as he glanced over his shoulder, staring through the gently falling snow to the roadside where Anna's body still lay. Wiping trickling blood from his brow he ran across the road, his mind blanking out the annihilation around him. The only thing he was aware of was Anna. He sunk down to his knees in the thick snow on the banking, staring down at her face, as she lay twisted and limp.

"Anna?" he called softly, eyes scanning her unresponsive features. His hands gently took her upper torso, righting her deformed posture so she lay correctly. Even after the short amount of time holding her body, he could feel the broken bones that scattered her form, the leak of warm blood through her clothing. "Anna?" he repeated, his voice becoming hoarse and quieter. "Anna, it's all right now. They won't be comin' after us no more.." he faded out, a hand reaching to take her cheek and lightly turned her face towards him. "Anna?"

She remained unresponsive to his words, and when his hand left her face, the lack of support caused her cheek to slump back to the floor weakly. He stared down at her with frightened eyes, pulling back with an increasing fear. Then, very slightly he saw her lips move, "Logan?" his sensitive hearing picked it up, and swiftly summoned him back against her side.

"Anna! Anna, we're safe now."

She barely had the energy to open her eyes and could only peer at him through small slits. "No," she replied very softly.

He stared down at her face, which looked so clean in comparison to the bloody wreck that made up her lower half. His eyes closed tight at her words, frown burrowing deep into his brow. "I know," he whispered in answer, aware that nobody but him could survive the injuries she had obtained.

"It hurts.." she managed to told him weakly, though her face was clear of any pain. Her eyes fluttered open, dilating pupils staring up at him hauntingly. "..Inside," she added under her breath. "Help me, Logan.."

"I can't," he murmured softly, shaking his head as he felt his eyes burning with desperate tears. "I can't, Anna."

Anna licked her lips slowly, the effort huge as she swallowed. "You can," she said, echoing their earlier exchange. Her hand struggled towards his, but seeing her attempt, Logan quickly closed the distance and placed his hand around hers, holding their hands against her chest. Her fingers raised and slowly trailed their tips into the three channels that situated between each knuckle. "You can," she repeated.

His eyes stared down at her indication before they flickered back up to her face. "Anna.."

"Please, Logan."

"I can't!"

"You can," she replied with determination. "Help me, Logan."

Logan averted her eyes from hers, staring out across at the destruction which lay in his horrendous wake. Feeling the anger roar up inside him again, his claws shot out of his knuckles in a flash of steely light, the _'snikt' _being met with a choked gasp. Logan's eyes closed slowly as he sat there in silence, trying to ignore the blood that welled about his knuckle. The claws rode back up into his hand and he shakily pulled it away from her chest. Exhaling a pained sigh he pulled his arms about her upper torso, bringing her up against his chest so he could nestle her limp head against his chest. No more sounds came from her as she slumped against his torso.

He smoothed the hair from her face with trembling fingers, placing a soft kiss against her forehead before with one last embrace he lay her back down in the snow with care. He closed his eyes wearily as he stood to his feet, turning away from her body to he stumble forwards through the snow. Returning to the parked camper, he stopped and stared at it. Eventually, he continued towards it, making his way into the driver's seat. He closed his eyes on his brimming tears, leaning down to start the engine. Logan sat back up, softly rubbing his hands together as he sought out the gaps in his knuckles weakly where the scars of his claws had long disappeared once again. Shaking his head to himself, he turned his attention to the steering wheel and reversed himself out of the haphazard parking.

Without a glance in his mirror, he swiftly drove away, the camper trundling forth across the snowy trail and on towards the empty roads ahead to spend the next fifteen years travelling, wondering and asking himself one question.

Why?

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And that's the end folks! We all knew Logan had to set out alone in the end, with the clothes on his back and his camper. I hope you enjoyed this story, please leave a review for this last chapter! Thank you!


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